Apophis slowed and hovered in silence for the first time since the battle began.
She reached toward the seal.
The air around it distorted, like the surface of a soap bubble about to pop.
She studied it again.
This time, she could feel the depth of the damage.
It was worse than she had imagined.
This was not just from time.
Most of the damage came from her.
All those centuries spent thrashing against it, biting, coiling, screaming, trying to break free.
Every ounce of effort she had poured into escaping had hollowed it out from the inside.
Now the energy flooding this dimension, the golden power from the system, was eating away at what little stability remained.
She floated closer.
She thought, "To think I spent all that time and energy trying to destroy this, and now I am the one trying to reinforce it."
Her fists clenched.
Fury burned in her chest. "All this time… Bastard.
Damn it."
Right now, Apophis truly regretted ever taking in Ben and the Nephirid.
